Perhaps you did something this morning that many others do each morning as well -- you had a piece of toast or a bagel for breakfast. Perhaps you put strawberry jam or honey on your toast and spread some cream cheese on your bagel. Around the world, this simple human ritual is repeated in a variety of ways. In Malaysia, that same piece of toast might be smeared with kaya, a thick jam made from coconut milk. In Taiwan or in Beijing, instead of toast, it may be a steamed bun filled with bits of roast pork and vegetables. In India, the morning ritual includes rolling out some simple whole wheat dough into flat round chapatis. In France, those wonderful flaky croissants will tantalize many palates first thing in the morning. The old saying about bread being the "staff of life" is not merely a …